SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has released a detailed timeline and public statement following intense scrutiny over a Primary 3 bullying case at Sengkang Green Primary School, which has ignited national attention and online debate.
On 20 August 2025, MOE addressed the controversy, confirming that three nine-year-old students had been suspended for making graphic death threats toward a classmate and her mother.
The student’s mother, Ni Yin, had earlier posted a viral Facebook account detailing the abuse her daughter allegedly endured over several months, and accused the school of inadequate response.
The ministry’s statement comes amid growing calls for accountability and transparency in how schools manage bullying, especially in cases involving severe psychological harm and threats of violence.
Four-hour meeting and updated safety plan
MOE revealed that a four-hour meeting had taken place between school officials and the parents of the affected student.
During the meeting, the full sequence of events was reviewed, including what MOE referred to as the “hurtful behaviours” the victimised student had also engaged in.
According to MOE, the parents agreed that their daughter would return to the school under an “enhanced safety plan,” and withdrew their earlier request for a school transfer.
This development followed several days of online discourse sparked by Ni Yin’s detailed post published on 14 August.
The post had been widely circulated, with hundreds of thousands views, and—according to MOE—led to doxxing and online harassment of both school staff and students involved.
Timeline of events and disciplinary actions
MOE defended the actions taken by the school, stating that each incident was handled in a timely and firm manner, including immediate suspension of the students involved in issuing the threats.
Further disciplinary measures, including caning, are being considered for the three students, in line with existing school protocols.
“The affected student had herself engaged in hurtful behaviour on some occasions, and the school had similarly handled these episodes in an even-handed manner,” said MOE.
The ministry also stated that the school maintained contact with all parents involved, regularly updating them on safety measures and support mechanisms being put in place.
Police involvement and parent’s viral post
The case gained public traction after Ni revealed on Facebook that she had received graphic voice messages, allegedly from one of the boys involved.
The message reportedly included threats to “dissect” her daughter or “end her life in school,” and included threats directed at Ni and her husband.
These messages were shared with the school’s Vice-Principal and other staff during a meeting on 28 July.
Ni stated that the voice messages were traced back to the mother of one of the alleged bullies, who had reportedly leaked her personal contact information.
Ni also reported the threats to the police. The Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report was made and investigations are ongoing.
Continued physical abuse after report
Despite the suspension and investigations, Ni alleged that her daughter was physically assaulted on school grounds on three occasions in August — specifically on the 1st, 6th, and 7th.
She claimed that her daughter came home crying with a visible bruise on her arm on 7 August and had been fearful of returning to school.
Ni alleged that teachers told her they were unaware of the incidents and that her daughter “should have reported it herself.”
Following these episodes, the child stopped attending school from 11 August and is currently undergoing psychological treatment.
School’s response challenged by mother
After the school released a statement on 15 August acknowledging the suspension and revealing that the affected student had also displayed hurtful behaviours, Ni issued a strong rebuttal.
She accused the school of shifting blame to the victim and demanded concrete evidence of any misconduct by her daughter.
“If my daughter did engage in misconduct, I will not cover it up and will fully support MOE’s procedures. But if the school cannot provide solid evidence… I reserve the right to take legal action,” she wrote.
She further questioned why any alleged misconduct had not been communicated to her prior to the bullying case becoming public.
Ni cited her daughter’s clean disciplinary record, past leadership role as PE Captain, and a government scholarship to argue against the credibility of the school’s new claims.
Pleas for help ignored, says mother
One of the most emotive pieces of evidence shared by Ni was a photo of her daughter’s workbook, in which the child had written a plea to the teacher.
Ni said this written request had gone unanswered, reflecting a systemic failure to recognise and act upon student distress signals.
She also criticised the school’s refusal to change her daughter’s seating arrangement despite her concerns, with the school citing “confidentiality” for not intervening.
Demands for systemic reform
In her public appeal, Ni listed four key demands:
- An immediate school transfer for her daughter.
- Disciplinary action and counselling for the students involved.
- Accountability for school staff who allegedly failed to act.
- A transparent, trackable anti-bullying system across schools.
She also referenced a previous suicide case at the same school in 2021, raising questions about whether this pointed to deeper issues within school management and child protection protocols.
MOE warns against social media doxxing and misinformation
Responding to the surge of public outrage, MOE strongly criticised the public dissemination of one-sided accounts on social media.
It cautioned that such behaviour has led to emotional harm, including online attacks and doxxing of both staff and young students.
“These are bullying behaviours and send a wrong signal to children on what appropriate behaviour looks like,” the ministry stated.
It reaffirmed its commitment to take firm action against bullying and to safeguard its educators and staff from harassment, referencing the MOE Engagement Charter.
MOE has yet to respond to these wider allegations.
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